Language experience example

The teacher:

• sets goals by & outlining the learning intention and differentiated success criteria for the session, which are articulated and/or displayed.

Teacher-led:

• shared or interactive read-aloud of a text related to the experience.

Students:

• share prior knowledge related to the experience.
• ask questions and share their wonderings.
• actively listen to the text.
• view and discuss the visual elements (photographs; diagrams; illustration).

Teacher-led:

• vocabulary instruction, related to the experience, particularly Tier 1 and 2 words, with some Tier 3 words.
• discussion of word meanings in context, using student-friendly definitions.
• modelling of hearing and saying sounds in new words.

Students:

• practice reading and pronouncing new words.

The teacher:

• draws attention to the grammar of writing in an embedded and purposeful way
• demonstrates how vocabulary can be expanded, referring to examples in the text (for example, adding adjectives).

Students:

• practice adding adjectives to expand vocabulary.

The teacher:

• questions students to assist them to make observations during the experience.
• establishes expectations for students to use new vocabulary as they observe and discuss the experience.

Students:

• comment on the experience
• use new vocabulary.

The teacher:

• extended and dialogic talk about the experience.

Students:

• practice extending their responses
• practice building on each other’s responses.
• practice accountable talk.

The teacher:

• facilitates joint construction of a text.
• introduce and invite students to talk for Writing
• models rehearsing writing by saying the sentence out loud and thinking out loud their processes for writing
• demonstrates how to incorporate new vocabulary.
• demonstrates how to add new words (for example, adjectives).
• demonstrates the use of appropriate punctuation to convey meaning.
• invites students to add to the text.
• encourages re-reading of the text for revision and editing purposes

Students:

• rehearse their contribution to the jointly constructed text by ‘saying it and stretching it’ first.
• use the classroom resources (for example, word walls and anchor charts) to assist with spelling new and familiar vocabulary.
• practice saying the sounds in the words they want to write.
• give constructive feedback to their peers

The teacher:

• models how to draw and label something from the experience.

Student writing:

• students create their labelled diagram.

The teacher:

• guided differentiated work, through small group interactive writing groups or individual conferences.

• provide the opportunity for independent writing

Students:

• create a short written text to accompany their labelled drawing.
• access classroom resources to use new and familiar vocabulary.

Student reading: 

• students read their text to a partner or small group.
• focus on fluency.
• focus on pronunciation.

The teacher:

• asks students to reflect on how they used to talk to help them write.
• asks students to report back on their learning with relation to the learning intention and differentiated success criteria using extended and dialogic talk.

The teacher:

• supports students to produce a final version of their text for publication in either a print-based or digital format.

The student chooses to: 

• re-work their diagram and add further illustrations,
• extend their written text, or retain the original text.